Its Been Too Long
by VintageNicky
Summary: At Sarahs Prom, she meets a myterious stranger. But is this the first time theyve met? Song Fic! Emmy Rossum - Been Too long. One-shot but in two chapters, you will understand if you read it! XD And review please!
1. Its Been Too LongPart 1

**Ok so I had these ideas stuck in my head and needed to get them out so I could write the next chapter for my story 'Where Are You?'. I couldn't add these ideas in that but I just couldn't get them out of my head, so this is just a little one-shot. It is a song fic, based on Emmy Rossum's song Its Been Too Long. I was listening to it all day today, and as you will know if you've read my stories before, I get most (if not all!) my ideas from songs. I didn't think this song would fit with that story however. **

**In my head (dangerous place to go!) I tried to picture each part of this song to something that happened in the Labyrinth, and I have added a few moments that didn't happen too, as you would expect of a fanfic. So anyway, enough of me yapping! Ill let you read the story now! XD**

**Ooooh, and DEDICATION!! To Garnet Wings for being a big help with this! I had a lot of questions, she must have been so annoyed by me! **

--

Prom night. It seemed to come so soon. A few years ago I would have longed for this, to be able to dress up and not be considered weird. I should be getting excited now. I should be getting my hair done now, 4 hours early. But, for some unknown reason, it doesn't feel right.

Instead I wait as late as I possibly can to slip into my dress. Its nothing fancy, just a simple white dress. It reaches all the way down to my feet with short white gossamer sleeves. I put on my white pumps, going for comfort rather than style. If Im going to be forced to dance, Id rather not be in pain the whole way through. I run a brush through my hair quickly and run downstairs, only to be greeted by Karen at the bottom. She practically drags me back up the stairs to do my hair and, Im sure, my makeup. I told her I didn't want to fuss but she insisted, trying to bond with me I suppose. It wont work. It never does.

She drags out her curlers and I inwardly sigh, wishing I had waiting till even later to get ready, then she wouldn't have had time for this. She curls it all, clipping parts of it back with small white slides that I know she's bought specially - Karen doesn't wear white hair slides, Karen doesn't have enough hair for her to use hair slides.

Looking into my vanity mirror before she had the chance to attack me with makeup, I had to admit that I liked it. I thought it would look horrible, that it would look so not like me. But it reminded me of…

No. I wont think about that. Its in the past, forgotten.

Never meant to last.

Before I can stop her, Karen is powdering my face and sweeping over my eyes with some sort of blue glittered madness that I never knew she had. She waves a stick of mascara in front of my face and tells me to blink. Blink. Switch. Blink. Blink. Eyeliner next, a thin black line of it over the top and bottom of my eyes. All the while she talks of endless nonsense about her prom. Was she even alive when they invented prom?

The doorbell rings and Karen jumps up, squealing. At least someone is happy about this.

I didn't exactly want to go to the prom, and I didn't think Id have a reason too either. So it came as a surprise to be asked. Tom Hasting. You could say it was a surprise also to be asked by him, he was a jock, one of the best. When he asked me he said he's been watching me for a while. Told me Id changed, that I wasn't the girl everyone knew before. He said he wanted to show off the person Id become.

I hadn't noticed any change. I felt the same, so did I look any different?

Karen pushes me out of the room and down the stairs, not before grabbing a faux fur shawl and practically strangling me with it in an effort to get it on me. She manages to calm down enough to not push me down the stairs, even orders me not to move until she calls for me. Getting the camera, no doubt. I quickly dash into my room and grab some face wipes, planning to get rid of my face paint as soon as I get to the prom. I hear Karen giggle and she shouts to me from the bottom of the stairs. Time for the show.

I put on a smile and start walking down the stairs, being ladylike as Karen always tells me to every time she finds me a boyfriend. If she had her way, I would have been married by now.

"You look amazing." Tom smiles as I reach the bottom of the stairs. I smile back, fake of course, and try to think of something to say back. Im not very good with compliments.

"Thanks Tom." I manage. "You look great too." Its not exactly a lie, but its not really true either. Tom always looks good, as a jock I guess he has to. His suit looks expensive but its not unique to him, there will be so many other guys at the prom wearing that same suit.

Tom smiles again, obviously he thinks he looks great too. Bigheaded git. Why the hell did I agree to this? I didn't even want to go to the bloody prom, why did I let myself be forced into it.

"Sawah. Sawah!" Toby says, trying to get my attention. "Sawah Pwincess!" He claps his hands together and smiles, his cute little smile that I love.

That's why Im going. Because Toby said I should, he said dancing sounded like fun.

I smile back at him and bend to reach his level. "And Toby Pwince!" I say, coping his way of speaking. He loves it when I do that.

Tom slips his arm through mine and pulls me up. "Sarah we should go, we don't wanna be late." He drawls smoothly, knowing that charm is everything to Karen and my Father. He's been around before a few times, he knows the way they work. "I got you this Sarah." He holds out a tacky looking blue corsage. It matches his suit, but with my dress it will look horrible. It stands out, that's why he picked it.

I smile and take it off him, handing him the white one I got for him. It matches my dress, like it should do. I don't dwell on it though. There's not much point.

Karen forces me to pose for what seems like a million pictures. She starts crying too, which to me is completely alien! Karen never cries, Karen shouts.

Finally she lets us leave, but I wish she hadn't. if she had kept us just a little bit longer, she would have made us late, so there would have been no point in going. Right?

--

We get to the hotel where prom is being held and Tom walks me in. as soon as we're inside though, he wanders off to stand with his friends, leaving me to wonder what the hell Im meant to do now. I knew I shouldn't have come.

I see Tom dancing with Casey, the head cheerleader. Why did he ask me if he's gonna spend the night dancing with her?

I grab a drink and head outside, into the garden of the hotel. Its small but its quiet too, there's no one out here. There's a bench in the middle so I sit down, taking small sips of my drink. Someone has obviously spiked it, I can taste vodka clearly. How long should I stay before it is acceptable for me to leave? An hour? Two?

"Why isn't a pretty girl like you inside enjoying herself." Some chuckles behind me. I turn my head slightly, catching a glimpse of him. Tall, long blonde hair, bright eyes and a strange tight-fitting suit. He looks gorgeous, but what the hell is he doing here? He doesn't look like a high school student at all. "Surely there must be a queue of boys wanting to dance with you." He sits next to me on the bench and smiles, waiting for an answer.

"I don't dance." I say briefly, not wanting to explain further. Im not the kind of girl who unloads my problems on everyone else, especially someone I have just met. For some reason I want to though. Something about him, this stranger, feels comforting.

"Why?"

Should I say it? "I cant. I don't know how to dance." I shouldn't have said it!

There is a silence, a pregnant pause as Karen would say. Then He stands up and holds out his hand. "Would you like to dance?" He takes a step towards me and I step back.

"I don't even know you."

"Its just a dance Sarah. What's so scary about one dance?" He slips an arm around my waist, pulling me close against him. He takes one of my hands in his free one and starts waltzing me slowly around the small garden.

"There's no music." I mumble, stating the obvious just to have something to say. He just smirks as a soft tune drifts across towards us.

"Better?"

I don't want to argue with him. Something about this seems right.

_September_

_The leaves areFalling red and gold _

_And I rememberThe way you pulled me closer_

An image flashes through my mind. Dramatic masks, flamboyant dresses. What is this? Where is this? It looks familiar. Have I been there before? The image fades and I see Him smirking down at me. I feel a blush starting to spread across my face and I have to close my eyes, if I look into his I know I'll blush more.

_Nothing else existed_

_In the world we lived in_

_Hidden_

_We didn't_

_See the storm was coming closer_

_That was then_

_But the time has come and gone_

_Nothing left but a broken story_

_We can't change_

_Can't erase_

_Nothing that we can say now_

_Can get back what we gave up_

_That was then_

_This is now_

_It's been too long_

He spins me away before pulling my back, but I still don't open my eyes. I know he's staring at me, I can sense it. Why?

_December_

_When we were_

_Drifting like the falling snow_

_Around us_

Another image flashes through my mind. Im on the park as usual. Its snowing, I love the snow. I see myself on the bridge. I look sad, why? The snow stars swirling around behind me. Its shinning, glittering in the light. A figure appears out of the snow, he wraps his arm around me and I lean against him, smiling.

I snap my eyes open and see his mismatches eyes staring into mine, a smirk playing across his lips. How did I not notice his eyes before?! I pull away from him and take a step back, trying to clear my head. But I cant.

Jareth!

_But then a_

_Winters chill blew through your heart_

_Mistakes that we made_

_Didn't know what they change_

_The silence_

_Was so hard_

_But I'm stronger for it_

Jareth smiles, a proper smile this time, and pulls me back to him gently. I don't pull away this time.

_That was then_

_But the time has come and gone_

_Nothing left but a broken story_

_We can't change_

_Can't erase_

_Nothing that we can say now_

_Can get back what we gave up_

_That was then_

_This is now_

_It's been too long_

_September_

_The leaves are_

_Falling gold again_

_And I_

_Remember_

_The way we were_

Its been two years. Two years today since I wished Toby away, since I met Jareth. Is that why he's here? I close my eyes again and try to remember more, concentrating

_That was then_

_But the time has come and gone_

_Nothing left but a broken story_

_We can't change_

_Can't erase_

_Nothing that we can say now_

_Can get back what we gave up_

_That was then_

_This is now_

_It's been too long_

When I open my eyes Jareth is still staring at me, still smiling softly. "Why did you leave me?" I whisper, so quietly he might not have heard me at all. He did thought, I can tell from the look on his face.

_It's been too long_

"I thought that's what you wanted Sarah."

"All my life I had built up a fantasy of the perfect man.. Countless romance stories and fables helped make that fantasy a reality in my mind. Searching for that fantasy lead to many disappointments. Reality made it clear that there was no such man - until I met you. Why would I **want **you to leave me Jareth? Why did you make me forget you?"

"It was for the best." Oh come on! He doesn't really believe that does he?

--

**Well I don't know what else to write, so let me know how you want this to end. Happy or sad? Hope you liked this even though I havent quite finished it yet!**

**I think this is only half finished, so its gonna be at least 4000 words!**


	2. Its Been Too LongPart 2

**This is just the last part of the last chapter that I hadn't written yet, but I suppose it could be another chapter if you wanted to think of it like that. **

**I don't own the Labyrinth or its characters, I don't know if I said that in the last one so there it is!**

**Also, I don't own the song I used or the quote from Butterfly Effect that I used, I just thought they were both really good. **

**Everything belongs to the respective owners, all I own is the idea! XD Enjoy!**

--

"The best for who?" I find myself snapping back. I didn't mean it to come out like that, but he must be a bit stupid if he thinks I wanted him to go.

"It wouldn't have lasted Sarah."

What?!

I push myself away from him and take a few steps away, feeling like I don't even know him. "Then why the hell are you here Jareth?"

He's looking around the garden, looking everywhere but at me. "I remember what your life was like, babysitting all the time. I wanted to see if things are better. I…"

Rage burnt inside me, threatening to consume me if I didn't get rid of it somehow. Oh no. Here it comes. Word vomit. "So you want me to just cry on your shoulder and tell you everything's all better now? Well fuck you, Jareth. Nothing's all better. Nothing ever gets better. You know, if I was so wonderful, why didn't you come back for me? Why did you just leave me here to rot?" I don't even wait for him to answer, Im better at running out of arguments. Plus, I can feel tears starting to escape and I will not cry in front of him.

I run back through the hotel, grateful now that I didn't wear heels. Tom tries to stop me but I push past him, out the main doors and into the car park. Its just started raining, and I have no way of getting home, but it wont take me long to get there if I run.

I reach the park and stop to sit by the waters edge. Im soaked already, it wont make that much difference if I sit in the rain. As I watch the water ripple I remember that night, two years ago. Acting out the Labyrinth in the park, with Merlin watching. He had always been a great critic, barking loudly if he thought the scene was bad and staying quiet if he liked it. It was simple system but it had taken me months to teach him.

I remember the owl that was always watching. Jareth. It must have been, owls are nocturnal. That would explain how I got the book anyway. I found it right here, beside the water. Everyone else seemed to just pass by it, maybe they couldn't see it. I wish I hadn't seen it. I wish none of this had ever happened.

I wish I had never met Jareth.

"That's not a very good wish Sarah." Jareth as he sits down next to me. I can hear from his voice that my wish hurt him, but he's trying not to let it show.

"Well it's the truth."

"You don't mean it precious, your just mad at me."

"Maybe."

"Maybe you don't mean it or maybe your not mad at me?"

"Both."

We sit in silence for a while, the rain still falling though neither of us notice it. My hands are resting beside me on the ground, Jareth running lazy circles on my right palm. He's done this before, he knows it calms me down. But I cant let it work this time, he has to realise what he's done. He has to know how I feel.

"Jareth. Why did you go for so long? And be honest, don't try to lie to me. Were you with someone else? Am I just one of many on a rotation or something? I need to know." Maybe Fae males aren't that different to human males: unfaithful. From my point of view they were anyway. Id had very few boyfriends in my life, but most of them at some point had cheated on me. Do I repel them? I must be doing something wrong, or they wouldn't run off to someone else.

"How could you even think that Sarah? Im not an idiot, I know what not to do." Pause. He's thinking of an excuse. "I've just been busy."

"Right. Whatever." I told him not to lie, why is he trying to fool me? Well not exactly. But he's not telling me anything properly, that's a bag sign. Isn't it? "Well you'll want to be getting back now, if your so busy." I pull myself up off the grass, feeling mud cling to my soaked dress. Karen is going to kill me!

Jareth stands up next to me, not even a speck of dirt on him. In fact, he doesn't even look wet! He takes me hand as I turn to leave and turns me around slowly. "Sarah, please don't go."

"Jareth. Im cold, Im wet, Im tired. I want to go home." I pull my hand away but he grabs it again, and within seconds we're stood in the middle of my room. "Oh. Umm…thanks." Jareth just stands there looking round the room, to see if anything has changed I suspect. It has. A lot.

The stuffed animal that looked like Sir Didymus that had been on my dresser is now gone, along with a doll that looks like Ludo, bookends that looked like Hoggle, and the music box that had always reminded me of my dress from the masked ball. The only thing left, something I really wished I had moved now, was the figurine of Jareth on the right hand side of my desk. It was the only thing I kept out, I just couldn't put it away. Every time I tried, I felt terrible.

He still seems transfixed by the figurine when I walk into my bathroom and turn the shower on. "You should go, if my Father finds you here while Im showing he'll kill you. Well to be honest if he finds you here at all he'll kill you." He makes no attempt to leave at all, merely waves his hand towards the door before walking over to my desk. He picks up the figurine, holding it against him as he looks in the mirror.

"This doesn't look like me at all." He exclaims, turning towards me as he places it back on my desk.

"I never said it was meant to. What did you just do?" I look towards the door to indicate what I mean and he shrugs, as though I asked a completely meaningless question.

"A Fae incantation, no one can enter the room while I am here. Apart from you of course." The door swings open and Toby walks in, a colouring book under his arm. He slams the door shut then stops as soon as he sees me. "And Toby?"

"Well that worked brilliantly!" I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes and picking Toby up. I place him on my bed as always so he can do his pictures, but he jumps off the bed as soon as I put him down.

"Jaweth!" He shouts, running towards him and hugging his legs. Why the hell doesn't Jareth look confused?!

"Toby, how do you know Jareth?" I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I member him. He's was here tomorrow."

Jareth laughs and picks Toby up, which is weird because Toby doesn't usually let anyone except me pick him up. "I think you mean yesterday."

"What were you doing here yesterday?"

"I came to see you. Toby found me in here, and told me you were shopping for a dress."

Leaving things to the last minute, I seem to be good at that.

"Right." Pregnant pause. "Toby, why don't you go colour in your room, Jareth is going now." I look up and Jareth before continuing. "And Im gonna take a shower, you know you don't like the smelly girl stuff I use." Toby crunches up his nose and wriggles away from Jareth, grabbing his book as soon as he is back on the floor and running out of the room. "Ok, your turn now." He doesn't move though. He just stands there looking at me. Its quite annoying actually.

"I don't mind waiting here." He says, sitting down on the edge of my bed. Waiting? Waiting for what?

I don't even bother arguing with him, I don't have the strength right now. I walk into my bathroom and close the door, locking it behind me and wiggling the door for a moment just to be sure it wont open. Although, he could probably get through it if he wanted to. In fact he could just appear in here. But I know he wont do that, I hope so anyway.

I try to take a really long time in the shower, washing my hair a few times to drag it out longer, hoping he might have gone when I get out. Unfortunately Im not in luck. When I stick my head around the door at least an hour later, he's still sat on my bed, reading my tatty copy of the Labyrinth.

"Jareth, just turn around will I get dressed."

"Why?"

What?!

"I want some privacy Jareth, it's the least you can do if you wont bloody leave!" Oh god why did I say that? I don't want him to leave, I want him to stay.

Or at least take me with him. Shut up Sarah!

Jareth turns, although I do catch sight of that smirk that I so love before his face is hidden from view completely. I walk slowly across to my wardrobe, glancing at Jareth to make sure he still wasn't looking, then opened the large doors to find something to wear.

My usual pyjamas would be shorts and a t-shirt, but would that really be appropriate with the Goblin King sat at the end of my bed? Would he think I was wearing that just for him? Not likely, but still I don't grab them. Instead, I opt for a long pale blue shirt that reaches down to my knees. Its huge, I bought it a while ago as a comfort shirt and never really wore it. I slip my shorts on underneath and close my wardrobe. As I turn to look at Jareth, I see he has already turned around.

"Hey!"

"I heard you shut the door." He explains with a smile.

"Oh."

I cant think of anything else to say, and to be honest I don't think I would have said any more anyway. Jareth stares at me, looking from my un-socked feet to the towel-turban in my hair. I drag the towel from my head, just to have something to do really, and rub my hair with it. I turn to find my brush, but its not there. Jareth stands behind me and starts brushing my hair for me. Once its all straight and every knot is out, Jareth places the brush back onto my desk and rests his hands on my shoulders. I can feel his body close behind me, heat radiating off him as it always does.

I smile as he slips his hands down my arms, linking them around my waist and pulling my tight against him. He drops his head and buries it against my neck and I can feel him smiling, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine. "You smell like peaches." He says happily.

I giggle slightly. I knew he would notice that soon. "Yeah, its my favourite."

We stood there in silence for what seemed like hours but can only have been minutes. And with his arms around me, everything else seemed to melt away. Nothing else mattered, just us.

"Jareth?" I whisper softly, closing my eyes.

"Hmm?" He mumbles in return against my neck.

I turn around, his arms still around my waist, and link my arms around his neck. Jareth looks up, the look on his face a mixture of confusion and happiness. "I think." I start, kissing his lips softly before I continue. "I think everything is all better now."

Jareth smiles and kisses me back, his lips soft but demanding against mine. I pull away giggle as I see the look on his face. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away, right now!"

--

**Aaaaah! This has been really great to write! I felt really happy writing this last part especially! Hope you like, I might do a sequel if you do like it! Review! XD**


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